Does 112 work everywhere?

112 is the single emergency number across all EU member states and works from any mobile in much of the world, often even without a SIM or with the keypad locked. In countries with a different primary number, 112 still frequently routes to emergency services from a mobile.

What is the difference between the general number and the police number?

The general number connects you to an operator who dispatches whichever service you need. Some countries instead run separate lines for police, ambulance and fire, so you dial the specific one. This table shows both where they differ.

Why do some countries show a dash for the general number?

A dash means there is no single all-services number in routine use; you must dial the specific police, ambulance or fire number listed alongside. Examples include Japan, China and Brazil.

Should I rely on this list while travelling?

Use it as a quick guide, but always confirm the current local number on arrival, for example from official tourism or government sources. Emergency numbering can change and local exceptions exist.

Is any data sent over the network?

No. The table is bundled with the page and all searching runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, logged or stored.

What is the Emergency Phone Number by Country Reference?

Searchable reference of emergency service telephone numbers by country — the general line plus separate police, ambulance and fire numbers — covering the UK 999, US 911, EU 112 and dozens more nations. It runs free in your browser on Gera Tools, with nothing uploaded.

Emergency Phone Number by Country Reference

Name: Emergency Phone Number by Country Reference
Creator: Gera Tools
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Who to call in an emergency, by country

Emergency telephone numbers differ from country to country: the UK uses 999, the US and Canada use 911, and the EU standardised on 112. Many nations also run separate lines for police, ambulance and fire. This reference lets you look up a country and see the general emergency line plus each service-specific number.

How it works

Each row shows a country, its ISO 3166 code, a general all-services number where one exists, and the individual police, ambulance and fire numbers:

United Kingdom  GB   999 / 112   Police 999   Ambulance 999   Fire 999
France          FR   112         Police 17    Ambulance 15    Fire 18
Japan           JP   —           Police 110   Ambulance 119   Fire 119

A dash in the general column means there is no single combined number — dial the specific service. The search box matches on country name and ISO code.

Why numbers vary so widely

Emergency numbering developed nationally before any international standard existed. The UK settled on 999 in 1937 — one of the world’s first dedicated emergency lines. The US introduced 911 in 1968 as a single memorable code. The ITU and later the EU pushed for 112 as a universal standard, and since 1991 EU member states have been required to support it alongside their national numbers.

Countries without a single unified number (Japan, China, Brazil, and others) have historically maintained separate lines for police, fire, and ambulance — each routed to specialist dispatchers — and have not consolidated them.

The 112 universal code

112 is the most widely portable emergency number in the world. It is mandatory across all EU member states and is supported on mobile networks in many non-EU countries as well. Notably:

It works on most GSM/3G/4G mobile networks without a SIM card.
Many handsets allow the call even when the keypad is locked.
In countries where 112 is not the primary number, it often silently re-routes to the local emergency dispatcher anyway.

If you are travelling and unsure of the local number, try 112 first.

Country examples at a glance

Country	General	Police	Ambulance	Fire
UK	999	999	999	999
USA	911	911	911	911
Germany	112	110	112	112
France	112	17	15	18
Japan	—	110	119	119
Australia	000	000	000	000
India	112	100	108	101

Search the tool above for any country. Numbers are shown for quick reference; always verify against an official source for critical use.

Before you travel

Save the destination’s police, ambulance, and fire numbers on your phone before departure.
Note that some countries restrict emergency calls to local SIM cards; a roaming SIM may still connect but response can be delayed.
Mountain rescue, coastguard, and poison-control lines are separate from the numbers shown here and vary by country — look these up specifically when relevant to your activity.
Hotel front desks and tourist information offices are also reliable sources of local emergency contacts on arrival.